Open Compute servers for government work? It just got a little bit closer to reality when Hyve Solutions qualified as a government-approved vendor under the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule.

Two years ago, Facebook launched the Open Compute Project to open-source the design of energy-efficient data center hardware. Facebook’s Prineville, Ore. data center (pictured) is an early showcase for Open Compute hardware. Intel, Rackspace, and Goldman Sachs also back the effort.

The GSA’s Schedule 70 puts IT providers on an “approved list,” which makes it easier for them to win government contracts. The fact that Hyve, a division of Synnex, got the nod, means it will be easier for government agencies to use Facebook’s data center designs, according to Data Center Knowledge.

The company said it builds the best OpenStack cloud per customer requirements based on its knowledge of which OpenStack components are most advanced and stable. Mirantis CEO Adrian Ionel said the fact that it’s taking money from Dell will not neutralize its vendor-independent position.

A cadre of high-tech vendors including Dell, HP, Cisco, IBM, Red Hat are all aboard the OpenStack train. Mirantis already was working with both Dell and Cisco on their respective OpenStack implementations, he said. WestSummit, a venture capital firm based in Beijing, will help Mirantis crack the insular Asian market, Ionel said.